Beet, orange, and black olive salad
This salad is a simple adaptation of one in Yotam Ottolenghi's <em>Plenty</em>, which calls for the addition of Treviso, parsley, and orange flower water, all of which would be delicious additions here. I have added goat cheese to this salad as well, which I love, but blue cheese and other cheeses would be nice, too. Herbs such as tarragon, parsley, and chives would also add a touch of color and flavor.
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<br />A few thoughts: I like a 1:1 ratio of beets to orange, though feel free to adjust proportions to your liking. Also, although slicing makes for a pretty presentation, cubed beets and orange segments make for an easier and perhaps more enjoyable eating experience — slices almost require the use of a knife; cubes and segments do not.
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<br />Finally: Ottolenghi calls for boiling the beets, which I did for the first time in years, and which produced beets with a surprisingly light, pure flavor. I think roasting beets concentrates their flavor a bit more, rendering them sweeter, but if you haven't boiled beets in awhile, the method might be worth revisiting — it couldn't be simpler, too. Also, the quality of beet likely matters, too. If you are not getting beets in a CSA or from your home garden, try to buy them from a farmers' market.
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